A new plan for the North East economy is aiming to give the region some immunity from problems in the wider UK, the man in charge of the region’s economic partnership said.

The North East LEP this morning launched a refresh of its strategic economic plan which aims to not only increase the numbers of jobs created in the region but also ensure those jobs are higher skilled.

Introducing the new plan, LEP chair Andrew Hodgson said the North East was “highly leveraged” to the national economy, meaning that “when times are good we do well but when times are bad, we do worse.”

“We need to break out of that cycle,” he said.

The new economic plan was launched in front of an audience of around 300 business and political leaders at an event in Gateshead.

The plan outlines hopes for ‘more and better jobs’ in the region’s digital, life sciences, automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors.

Concrete schemes including the restoration of passengers trains to Ashington and Blyth, improvements to Newcastle’s Central Station, building a freight park around the Hitachi plant at Newton Aycliffe and improving major roads are also included in the plan.

The re-launch of the economic plan was backed by former CBI director-general John Cridland, who is now chair of Transport for the North, and by the CBI’s director of regions Sarah Green, both of whom stressed the need to improve school standards in the North East.

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After the launch, Mr Hodgson repeated his backing for attempts to negotiate a devolution deal by councils in Newcastle, Northumberland and North Tyneside - which came after the wider North East devolution deal collapsed - but insisted all parts of the region could thrive.

“We’ve done pretty well with no devolution,” he said. “If one area wants to go for devolution I think it will improve our ability to deliver there.

“My concern is that the speed of implementation of the things in our plan will be quicker in those areas that have got more control over funding and decision making.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? If you’ve got control over the measures you want to take and the money to do it, and you can deploy it locally, it’s going to happen quicker than going to a Government department in Whitehall and negotiate for them to let go of the purse strings.”